Bullard pointed out the U.S. cattle industry suffers from a substantial, long-run trade deficit measured in value that exceeded $1.5 billion in 2008, and that over half of the U.S. global trade deficit in cattle and beef as measured by volume is from trade with Canada and Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
"Under our current trade policies, cattle and beef imports are capturing the growth in domestic beef production," he said. "Our trade policies of the past 15 years have failed the U.S. cattle industry and must be fundamentally reformed."
Bullard outlined R-CALFUSA's 10-point plan to fundamentally reform U.S. trade policies so U.S. cattle producers can begin to benefit from trade, rather than be destroyed by it.
"We must develop a national trade strategy that will facilitate the restoration and rebuilding of the contracted U.S. cattle industry," he emphasized. "This can only be accomplished by achieving an equitable balance between the interests of the U.S. cattle industry and the interests of the U.S. beef industry."
The 10 specific reforms that R-CALF USA requested of the Baucus' trade team include:
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